Managing a chronic illness can feel like a full-time job. Between juggling multiple appointments with an array of specialists and following a meticulous care plan, patients dealing with conditions like diabetes have a lot on their plate. Medtech titan Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) wants to help change that. The company’s CEO, Omar Ishrak, placed his faith in value-based care as the […]
Healthcare Reform
Health insurance stocks slide on Amazon-Berkshire Hathaway-JPMorgan Chase non-profit self-insurance venture
Shares in major health insurers UnitedHealth and Anthem fell today after online retail giant Amazon (NSDQ:AMZN), major holding company Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase announced a collaborative, independent non-profit looking to provide their employees with healthcare. The three companies said they will look to “bring their scale and complimentary expertise” to the long-term project, which will […]
Report: Advocacy groups urge Congress to fund diabetes research program
Advocacy groups have reportedly warned Congress that if lawmakers don’t find permanent funding solutions for diabetes research programs, it could jeopardize important work being done around the country to help people living with diabetes. Politicians on Capitol Hill have provided funding that will support the Special Diabetes Program and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians through […]
How conversations with virtual people could help mitigate the opioid crisis
It often starts in the doctor’s office or the emergency room. A patient has broken their leg and will be in pain for weeks. Another patient has had back surgery and is on their way home, but it will take time before they’re fully recovered. A third patient has returned for a consult about the […]
Senate confirms former pharma exec Azar as Trump’s HHS chief
The Senate voted 55-43 today to approve president Donald Trump’s nominee for chief of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar. Azar is succeeding Tom Price, who was forced out after reports from Politico revealed he often used pricey charter jets on the taxpayer’s dime. Senate Republicans have argued that Azar, who previously worked as president of Eli […]
Senate panel approves HHS nominee Azar
The Senate finance committee has approved president Donald Trump’s nominee for chief of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar. The former drug company executive is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate. If confirmed, Azar will succeed Tom Price, who was forced out after reports from Politico revealed he often used pricey charter […]
Rebelling against high prices, hospitals form nonprofit generic drug company
A consortium made up of 300 hospitals – and counting – are taking a bold step to address high drug prices and shortages of essential medicines: they’re cutting out the pharma middleman and starting their own non-profit generic drug company. The move is a first of its kind, according to a report from The New York […]
Is tax reform good or bad for medical device companies?
Medical device companies and others in the healthcare sector stand to benefit from the tax reform Congress passed at the end of 2017, but the picture isn’t entirely rosy, according to a new report from S&P Global Ratings. In many ways, the report offers a corrective to the bullish statements coming from corporate CEOs such […]
At confirmation hearing for Trump’s HHS nominee, drug pricing takes center-stage
Alex Azar, the president’s nominee to head the Dept. of Health & Human Services, has nearly a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry – and that experience is either predictive of his inability to act on lowering drug prices or will serve him well as HHS chief, depending on who you ask. At Azar’s […]
7 top stories that mattered for medtech in 2017
The medtech industry saw its transformation accelerate in 2017: Whether it’s the roster of largest companies, business models or the regulatory environment, times are a-changing. Competition is also heating up in areas including diabetes care and robotic surgery. Here are seven stories that mattered for the medical device industry this year. Next>>
Report: Drugmakers may have ducked $1.3B in Medicaid rebates
Without calling out any drug companies by name, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General revealed this week that 10 potentially misclassified drugs may have resulted in $1.3 billion in lost rebates to Medicaid between 2012 and 2016. The issue of ducking rebates came to the public’s attention earlier this […]
